The invention relates generally to computers and, more particularly, to a computer in a tower configuration provided with a modular data storage media drive located in a separate drive bay.
The present application is related to the following U.S. patent applications which were filed on the same date as this application: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/552,201, for COMPUTER WITH MODULAR COMPONENTS of Elizabeth B. Diaz, Felix Guerra, and Yancy Chen; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/552,555, for COMPUTER WITH READILY ACCESSIBLE MOTHERBOARD of Elizabeth B. Diaz, Kun-Chi Hsieh, and Bo Sui-Fai, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/552,556, for COMPUTER WITH MODULAR POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY IN SEPARATE BAY of Elizabeth B. Diaz, Felix Guerra, Yancy Chen, Kun-Chi Hsieh, and Bo Siu-Fai and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/552,193 for COMPUTER WITH MODULAR REMOVEABLE MEDIA DRIVE of Elizabeth B. Diaz, Kun-Chi Hsieh, and Bo Siu-Fai which are hereby incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed therein.
There has been a continuing trend since personal computers were introduced about twenty years ago to reduce the size of the computer housing or xe2x80x9cboxxe2x80x9d that holds the basic computer components such as the motherboard, power supply and various drives. One of the reasons for this trend is that computer peripherals have become increasingly available and affordable and thus compete for desk top space with computers. For example it is not uncommon for a modern computer user to have a computer, mouse, keyboard, 21 inch monitor, personal printer and scanner on his/her desk top whereas twenty years ago a typical desk top would have had nothing on it other than a typewriter or calculator.
One technique now widely employed by designers for reducing a computer""s desk top xe2x80x9cfootprintxe2x80x9d is use of a xe2x80x9ctowerxe2x80x9d configuration. Whereas a standard computer housing has a relatively small height and relatively larger length and width dimensions, a tower computer has a relatively small width and relatively larger length and height dimensions.
However there are certain considerations which are a challenge to a designer""s ability to down size a computer, whether in a standard or tower configuration. To begin with there are certain features which all modern computer users expect to be provided in a desk top personal computer. A motherboard and power supply assembly are of course required to make the computer functional. Program and data storage devices of some type are also required. Presently the storage devices typically installed are a fixed media drive, typically a hard disk, and a removable media drive. The removable media drive which is most commonly installed is an optical drive such as a CD or DVD drive. Thus the computer housing must have a space for each of these components.
One design technique for installing computer components in a small space is to increase component density, i.e. to pack the components tightly together within the housing. However a competing consideration is the need to provide adequate cooling of a modern computer""s more powerful CPU (central processing unit) and high speed drives. If components are too tightly packed, cooling becomes problematic. Another consideration which cuts against dense packing is the desire of computer owners to be able to upgrade their computers by addition of RAM (random access memory) chips and expansion cards to the motherboard. A still further consideration is a desire by computer owners as well as computer manufacturers who must perform warranty repair work, for a computer configuration which provides easy access to various components which may require maintenance or replacement during the life of the computer. In densely packed housings it is often necessary to go through the tedious process of removing one or more components using special tools and techniques in order to gain access to the component which must be tested or replaced.
Thus a need exists for a computer which is relatively compact and yet which has adequate space for cooling and which is relatively easy to upgrade and maintain/repair.
The present invention is directed to a computer having a modular media drive. The drive may be a hard drive. The modular hard drive may be mounted in a separate bay provided at an end portion of a sheet metal housing. The bay is constructed and arranged to enable the drive to be quickly and easily removed for maintenance and/or replacement. Placing the drive in a separate bay also facilitates access to other computer components since access to them is not blocked by the drive. In one embodiment the drive is accessed through opening a pivotal door which forms a part of the computer housing bottom wall. The door may be provided with ventilation holes. The drive may be removeably mounted on the door.
Thus the invention may comprise a tower computer including a sheet metal housing having a plurality of separate bays housing a plurality of computer components. The separate bays include a bay located at one vertical end of the sheet metal housing. A media drive assembly is readily-removeably mounted in the end bay exclusive of any other ones of the plurality of computer components.
The invention may also comprise a method of making a tower computer including: providing a housing with an enclosure at one end; pivotally mounting an end panel at the one end in pivotally coverable and uncoverable relationship with the enclosure; readily-removeably-mounting a first media drive in the enclosure; and mounting a computer motherboard assembly, a computer power supply and all media drives other than the first media drive in a portion of the housing outside the enclosure.
The invention may also comprise a method of removing a media drive from a tower computer having a plurality of computer functional components contained within a housing including: opening an access door to a computer housing enclosure which encloses, out of the plurality of computer functional components, only a media drive; and disconnecting electrical cables from said media drive.